Daily Chess Puzzle

Today’s problem is from the Candidates tournament.

As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.

White to play: Ding played 1 Rdd2 and lost; what should he have played?

Ding v Wang FIDE Candidates Tournament, Yekaterinburg, 17/3/2020

Solution

1 d4! a move I would perhaps have seen, but then rejected because of 1…Rd4 2 Rd4 cd 3 Nc2 Kd5.

But then 4 Nd4! with the point that 4…Kd4 is met by 5 Rd2+ skewering the King and LPDO Bd8.

FEN

3b4/3r2p1/1p2k1r1/pPp1Pp1p/P4P1P/3PNK2/R7/3R4 w – – 0 40